Up to no Good
by theturtlemoves
Summary: James Potter and Sirius Black begin their sixth year. At least one of them has had his life change for the better over the summer. But as the world around them darkens, their friendship will be put to the test. MWPP, the usual stuff. Read and Review!
1. There's no Place Like Home

_Disclaimer: Characters and places © JK Rowling. I don't want any money for this story, so don't try to get money from me!_

**Prologue: There's No Place like Home**

It was night-time in the old Potter home. The rooms were dark, quiet, sleeping. The house was peaceful.

In the study, papers littered the desk. A pale streak of light from a waxing moon fell through the unobstructed window and lay across the floor, an unbroken silver line. Dust settled quietly, unhindered. The muffled sound of a cricket chirping was all that could be heard.

In the fireplace, the last embers of the fire were dying. They pulsed gently orange and then faded completely into darkness.

There was moment of complete silence and silver blue light.

The fire flared green. The room glowed. A rushing sound filled the empty space. A figure appeared, revolving in the middle of the green flames. He spun very quickly for a few moments, and then stepped uncertainly into the room as the green fire died.

He was dressed in black and tugging on a heavy trunk which was coated in a fine layer of soot from the fire. The sound of his ragged, heavy breathing filled the room, and as soon as he had regained his balance he sat on his trunk and tried to catch his breath. His eyes were wide and frightened. He put a hand on his chest to calm his racing heart.

His other hand shook where it rested on his knee. He fought to relax his aching muscles.

There was a crash from the floor above. Of course, they would have some sort of alarm system in place. Working to compose himself, he struggled to his feet, wincing at the sharp jab of pain in his right knee. The hall light flicked on, illuminating the crack under the door. He clutched his wand for a moment and then, deciding against it as a first impression, placed it carefully on the floor. As he straightened up, the study door creaked open.

Two figures were outlined in the bright yellow light. The new arrival blinked to focus his vision.

They had their wands outstretched. He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. The younger figure, standing slightly behind the other, lowered his wand slowly.

James Potter's eyes widened as he pushed past his father into the study. He stared at the dishevelled form of his best friend.

'Sirius?' he said cautiously. Sirius Black nodded weakly.

James grinned. 'About bloody time.'


	2. Old Habits die Hard

_Disclaimer: Characters and Hogwarts © JK Rowling. This is done for fun and not profit. _

**Chapter the first: Old Habits Die Hard**

'Damn Evans!' James muttered, nursing a bruise on his cheek as he and his friends sat at the start-of-term feast.

Sirius chuckled. 'You got off lightly, mate. You're a bloody git when it comes to women, and that's the truth.'

James scowled, but didn't make any attempt to argue the point. Sirius was allowed to say things like that – it was one of his rights as James's best friend. Besides, even James had to admit that in this particular instance, he was absolutely right.

'You still haven't properly explained to me exactly what it was that you said, James,' Remus pointed out. 'And don't say that you didn't say anything, because obviously you did.'

'I didn't bloody say _anything_, all right?' James exclaimed, proving Remus's prediction of his reaction to be absolutely correct. 'She's in one of her hoity-toity moods, I go over and say hello, how were your holidays, and I get a punch in the face!'

'And a fantastic right hook she has, too,' Sirius said amusedly. 'However, Prongsie, I think your story there might have been missing a few crucial elements. Like the part when you said she should meet up with you later for a spot of snogging, and the part when, after she politely declined your most reasonable of requests –'

James rolled his eyes. 'She called me a stuck-up, arrogant bastard without any sense of decency,' he muttered.

'Still think that you shouldn't have called her a prissy little brat – nor should you have said that she ought to remove the stick from her behind before coming to school. Not that it wasn't marvellously executed, mind you.' Sirius grinned at the memory. 'Still, if you're serious about wanting to snog her, it probably wasn't the best of plans.'

'Glad to see you're in such a bloody good mood about it all,' James grumbled, spearing a roast potato on his plate with unnecessary force. 'Good to know that my misery is so bloody amusing to you.'

Sirius laughed.

'You are in a better mood than usual, Sirius,' Remus commented with a smile. Sirius shrugged and helped himself to a third portion of chicken.

'What can I say, Moony? Prongs here is a regular laugh-a-minute. Comedy gold, he is. Watching him grapple with Lily Evans is enough to make my day.' He grinned and nudged James, who scowled. Sirius laughed again.

'Come on, Jimmy. Just a bit of fun, eh? Besides, better to laugh about it rather than dwell on the fact that you're completely buggered where Evans is concerned.'

James muttered something indistinct. Remus cleared his throat in the way he always did when he was about to change the subject.

'Lily was probably in a strange mood anyway. Some of the prefects were saying some very rude things about muggle-borns, you know.'

James made a derisive noise. 'Three guesses _which_ prefects,' he said, sending a pointed glance over Remus's shoulder towards the Slytherin table. Peter chuckled to himself. Sirius swallowed his mouthful.

'It's not just Slytherins, though,' he said, suddenly serious. 'I heard a couple of Ravenclaws say something as we were getting off the train. And there were some Hufflepuffs back at King's Cross who were whispering and looking very strangely at anyone who wasn't pureblood.'

Remus nodded. 'I saw them too. Bit of a weird feeling everywhere, isn't there?'

The boys all nodded. There was a strange feeling in the air. Their sixth year at Hogwarts had barely begun, and already there were odd, unfamiliar, calculating looks among friends and whispers at every table.

'I have to say, I think I'm going to actually appreciate being pureblood this year,' Sirius noted.

'I wouldn't want to be muggle-born if you paid me,' Peter agreed.

'Hear hear,' Remus said. 'We've all got enough problems.'

'You know, I would've thought that the old man would've mentioned something about it all,' James said. They turned to look at the staff table, where Dumbledore was deep in conversation with Professor Slughorn.

'Maybe he doesn't want to draw attention to it,' Sirius suggested. 'There'd only be more rumours if he acknowledged it.'

'Yeah, you're probably right,' James nodded. 'Not much more than a few odd looks at the moment. It'd only be worse if people started talking about it out in the open. Stupid gits,' he added, throwing a cursory glance over at the Slytherin table before going back to his meal. 'They may not be the only ones talking, but you can bet your last knut that they're the ones who started it. Slimy bastards.'

'Yeah,' Sirius said. 'Someone ought to teach them a lesson.' A slow grin crept over his face as he turned towards his best friend. James was grinning back.

'Are you suggesting that we should be the ones to do it, Padfoot?' he asked innocently.

'You know, Prongs, I believe I am,' Sirius said, his grin now bordering on the maniacal. Peter glanced between the two excitedly. Remus busied himself with his dinner.

The Marauders were back in business.

Later that night, in the sixth year dormitory in Gryffindor tower, James raised the bottle of butterbeer that he'd swiped from the kitchens.

'Here's to sixth year, and to continued success in all our ventures,' he toasted. The other three raised their own bottles, albeit rather reluctantly in Remus's case.

'To sixth year!' Peter echoed.

'To harassing Slytherins!' Sirius added, smirking.

Remus rolled his eyes.

'Do I have to drink to that? I do have my prefect's badge to consider, after all,' he complained.

James laughed and took a swig of his butterbeer. 'Poor perfect prefect Moony,' he said, landing a playful punch on his friend's shoulder. 'If they haven't taken the badge off of you so far, Remmy my friend, I think you're safe.'

'Yeah,' agreed Sirius, also taking a mouthful of his drink. 'Besides, they'd have to replace you with one of us, wouldn't they? Let's face it; you're the only sucker for the job.'

Remus laughed. 'Fair point,' he conceded, accepting the toast with a swig of his drink. 'Merlin knows you lot cause enough trouble without the ability to dock points from Slytherin whenever you please.'

James's face split into a wide grin. 'Speaking of which, did you lot see his face?'

'When you –'

'And then he –'

'And then he turned around –'

They fell around laughing at the latest misfortune to befall their enemies. Only Remus, who still had part of his mind on his prefect's badge, managed to remain composed.

Peter was still chuckling as he said; 'Reckon McGonagall will figure that it was us?'

Sirius laughed his distinctive, bark-like laugh.

'Probably. She's a wily old cat, that Minerva. Expect detention tomorrow, Jim.'

James shrugged and lay back on his bed.

'Like I give a damn. It was worth it.'

'Ah,' said Sirius, winking at the other two as he went over to James's bed and perched himself on the end, hauling himself up using the end posts. 'But will you still feel that way when the lovely Miss Lily Evans next tells you where to stick it, Prongs? Next time she calls you a cad and a troublemaker? Will you still feel charitable about detention _then_?'

James wore an ironic expression. 'Like I give a puffskein's behind what that harpy thinks of me.'

Sirius sent a glance in Remus's direction which was loaded with meaning. James saw and scowled.

'What's that look supposed to mean?' he demanded.

'Only that you're not only a troublemaking git, but you're also a liar,' Sirius shot at him, jumping off James's bed and heading over to where they'd dumped the rest of the supplies they'd pinched. 'And if you _really_ don't care what Evans thinks of you, then I hope she looses that right hook of hers on you again soon, Prongsie, because you could do with having some sense knocked into you.'

He threw a couple of Bertie Bott's beans into the air and caught them in his mouth. James grumbled something indistinct.

'What was that? Didn't quite catch that, Jamie.'

'I was just wondering when you became the bloody high authority on the opposite sex, Padfoot,' James repeated loudly. Sirius laughed.

'Haven't you been paying attention, Jimbo? I'm beating them off with a bloody broomstick. Something to do with my dark good looks and mysterious past.' He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at the other three. Remus and Peter had to laugh.

'Huh,' James scoffed. 'I find that bloody difficult to believe. I see more girls trying to chat Moony up than I see girls sending amorous glances in your direction.'

Remus went an odd shade of pink. Sirius laughed.

'Now James, I know you're jealous. It's all right. It's just that Moony and I are clearly the heartbreakers of the group. It's all in the genes, you know.' He winked at Remus again.

James rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, yeah. I assume I don't have to remind you of your own shortcomings when it comes to the fairer sex. Which was the one that ended up slapping you in the dining hall? Or, more to the point, which ones _haven't_?'

Peter laughed. James turned on him, a manic glint in his eye. 'Don't get me started on _you_, Wormtail. It's too easy, believe me. When was the last time you had a conversation with an actual girl, exactly? One where you _didn't_ turn scarlet and start stuttering?'

Peter pouted and threw a pillow at him. It missed by a mile. Remus chuckled.

'Yeah, there's not much to speak of where you're concerned either, Moony. I mean, for a bloke with an uncanny insight into the workings of the female mind, you don't have _any_ experience in the matter as far as I'm aware.'

Remus grinned. 'That's _all _you morons know,' he said.

They all looked at him. There was a pause.

Sirius laughed first. James and Peter and then Remus joined him.

'Excellent, Moony!' Sirius exclaimed, clapping his friend on the shoulder and offering a chocolate frog. 'But of course, now that you've mentioned this secret life of yours, we're going to need names, dates … all the saucy details.'

'Keep dreaming, Padfoot,' Remus chuckled, taking the chocolate. 'A gentleman never tells.'

They laughed again. Outside the dormitory, the night faded imperceptibly into early morning.

In the girls' dormitory, Lily Evans lay awake, listening to the deep breathing of her roommates.

Hufflepuff Frank Longbottom, this year's Head Boy, sat thoughtfully in his common room, pondering how he could tell his girlfriend Alice that he loved her without sounding like a complete git.

In Ravenclaw house, Hestia Jones dreamed peacefully about something she would be confused about when she woke.

Down in the Slytherin quarters, Severus Snape slept fitfully, his knee still uncomfortable where Potter's curse had hit him.

As the pink light of dawn slowly crept over the lake, Hogwarts finally slept. And for a while it seemed that everything was back to normal for another year.

'That Longbottom's a complete git, that's all I'm saying,' James said loudly at breakfast that morning. 'Whoever said he'd make a good Head Boy is obviously lacking a bit in the common sense department.'

A few Hufflepuffs who were sitting behind him shot glares at him behind his back. He didn't notice.

'Prongs, the only reason you don't like him is because his team nearly beat ours for the quidditch cup last year,' Sirius said patiently.

'Damn right that's why I don't like him!' James exclaimed. 'Bloody git. Doesn't have a chance this year, I'm telling you, not now that I'm captain. I'll show him. Won't even know what's coming, he won't. Pass the eggs, will you Moony?'

'You're lucky they let you be captain, James,' Remus said carefully. 'Don't you think you should watch yourself, lest they take it away?'

James laughed. 'And who would they get in my place? This is your prefect's badge talking, Moony. You know there's not a chance that McGonagall would let anyone else be captain – that team _needs_ me.'

Sirius rolled his eyes. 'Your powerful sense of modesty strikes again, Jimmy.'

'McGonagall's coming with our timetables,' Peter piped up. 'She doesn't look too happy.'

'Ah, good to know nothing's changed then,' Sirius smiled.

Professor McGonagall appeared behind James and Sirius, who turned to acknowledge her.

'Morning, Professor,' Sirius remarked jovially.

'Lovely day,' James added with a grin.

McGonagall's mouth was a thin, tight line. 'Good morning gentlemen. I seem to recognise your handiwork amongst a few of the members of Professor Slughorn's house.'

James and Sirius attempted to look innocent.

'You couldn't possibly believe that _we_ would have anything to do with that sort of thing,' James said, trying to sound genuinely hurt.

'Actually, Potter, you'd be surprised at how quickly I came to this conclusion.' McGonagall had that warning note in her voice. 'Particularly after hearing Severus Snape's account of events.'

'He'd say anything to get us in trouble, Professor, and you know it!' Sirius exclaimed. 'Surely an intelligent woman such as yourself wouldn't be swayed by such an obvious ruse!'

'Be that as it may, boys, you will serve detention tonight – the first of many for the year, no doubt. And before you start to argue –' she added, as they opened their mouths to protest – 'may I point out, Potter, that if I see you in my office even _half _as much as I did last year, I shall not hesitate to remove you from the position of quidditch captain. Consider yourself on probation in that role, Potter, do you understand?'

'But Professor –'

'_Do you understand?_'

James sighed. 'Yes ma'am.'

'Right. Now, as for the subject of your timetables – Potter and Black, you're fine for all your subjects. That was good work in your exams – if only you would apply yourself to your schoolwork all the time, and not just when you were about to be assessed. Pettigrew – I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark; clearly having these two miscreants for friends has helped you somewhat.'

Peter went a bit pink. Sirius and James grinned at each other.

'You're fine for Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms and Herbology – you'll have to do Potions again, though; and so will you, Lupin. I've arranged a tutor to help you through it.'

'We could help them out, Professor,' James said. 'No need to bother someone else with it.'

'Thank you Potter, but I think I would prefer that your friends had a tutor whose method of teaching was _not_ brewing potions that could be slipped into the drinks of your classmates which might result in people being sent to the Hospital wing.' McGonagall gave him a sharp look over the top of her square spectacles.

James managed somehow to look horrified. 'I'm appalled that you would think I would do such a thing!' he said in outraged tones.

'I don't _think_ you would, Potter, I _know _you would,' McGonagall sighed. 'Besides, Miss Evans has already agreed to help your friends. Here are your timetables, boys.'

She handed them around, pausing only to narrow her eyes at Remus.

'Lupin, I hope to see you take your prefect's badge more seriously this year,' she said gravely. Remus swallowed forcefully as he took the slip of paper that she handed him.

'Yes, Professor,' he said weakly, quailing under her stern look.

'Good. Well, I think that is all for now. Potter, Black – I will see you both tonight, five' o'clock.'

'We know the drill, Professor,' Sirius called after her as she left. If she had heard him, she gave no sign of it.

He laughed. 'She's all right for an old bird, I reckon. She can't be serious about you being on probation, Prongs – why let you have it if she's only going to take it away again?'

James nodded. 'Yeah, I reckon you're right – but I might play it safe for a while, just to be sure. Bloody hell, I feel sorry for you two,' he added, turning to Remus and Peter. 'Bloody Evans on your case about Potions for a whole year? Rather you than me, and make no mistake.'

Sirius rolled his eyes. Peter shrugged.

'Lily's best in the year for Potions,' he said. 'I'm sure it'll be all right.'

'Yeah, _you're_ the only one of us she doesn't like, Prongs,' Sirius reminded him.

'That's not fair,' James pouted. 'She doesn't like _you_ either.'

'Yeah, but I'm not trying to get her to snog me,' Sirius smirked. 'You all right, Moony? Something wrong with your timetable?'

Remus had been staring at his timetable for the past two minutes. When Sirius addressed him, he looked up with a start.

'What? Oh, no, it's fine … class is starting, should we head off?'

The other three exchanged a glance.

'I guess so,' James said. 'What have we got? Charms?'

'Yeah – that's all right first up, isn't it? Not to mention we have a free period later – you know, I think this is going to be a pretty good year,' Sirius smiled.

James grinned back at him. He was happy that his best friend was in such a good mood. He only hoped that it lasted – Sirius in a bad mood was never any fun for those around him. Even James tended to avoid him on his worse days.

They left the table and started heading out the door. They were almost at the marble staircase when they ran into Severus Snape.

He was still walking with a slight limp. James smirked at him as he pushed past.

'Your leg hurting you, is it Snivelly?' he called. Snape pretended not to hear him.

Sirius chuckled. 'Slimy git. We ought to curse him for snivelling to McGonagall, you know.'

James shrugged. 'We'll do it later. Come on, we'd better get to class.'

'James, what happened to 'playing it safe?'' Remus wanted to know as they made their way to the Charms classroom. 'It's five minutes since you said that, and already you're planning to torment Snape!'

'Ah, but notice I didn't curse him in the entrance hall,' James pointed out.

'It is an improvement, Moony, you have to admit,' Sirius grinned. 'Besides, what do you expect us to do – let him get away with it?'

Remus rolled his eyes. They were coming up on the Charms classroom now.

James noticed his friend's look.

'Aw, come on Moony. It's just a bit of fun.'

'McGonagall will take your captaincy, James. She's not kidding around. It's a wonder she even lets you stay on the team.'

James stopped just outside the door to the classroom, staring at Remus in horror.

'You don't seriously think that, do you?'

'Yeah, I do,' Remus replied. 'And before you say it, it's not just my prefect's badge talking. I really think you ought to watch it this year.'

James frowned at him.

'This isn't about me, is it Remus? It's about McGonagall saying that you should be a good little prefect and keep a tighter leash on us this year. Well? Isn't it?'

Remus avoided his eyes.

'Don't be ridiculous, James.'

'Come on, guys,' Peter said quickly. 'Don't fight.'

Sirius gave James a little push. 'Come on, Prongs. Time for class. Leave Prefect Moony alone – he's just trying to do his job.'

James sent Remus a glare. 'If you insist, Padfoot. As long as Prefect Moony realises that if he continues in this vein I will extend to him the same courtesy I have to every other prefect that has come before him – none whatsoever.'

'Give it a rest, James,' Remus pleaded. 'Let's just go to class, all right?'

'Yeah, whatever,' James muttered, heading through the door into the classroom. Sirius shrugged at Remus and followed, Peter trailing along behind. Remus sighed.

'You should stick up for yourself, Remus,' said a voice. Lily Evans was coming along the corridor towards him. Remus offered her a weak smile.

'That's easy for you to say, Lily,' he replied. 'You don't have to sleep in the same dormitory as them.'

Lily rolled her brilliant green eyes. 'Potter's just being a git. I hope McGonagall does take him off the quidditch team – it might make him realise how much of a prat he actually is, since quidditch is all he cares about.'

'That's not fair, Lily,' Remus said.

Lily shrugged. 'Isn't it? Oh, maybe not, but sometimes it seems like that. Are you going into the classroom, or are you going to stand there sticking up for Potter all day?'

She looked annoyed. Remus opened his mouth to say something else about James, who after all was one of his best friends, but decided against it, as he was already receiving her glare.

'Sorry,' he said finally, heading into the classroom, where he took his traditional seat behind James and next to Peter. James did not turn around to look at him. Remus sighed again and took out parchment and quills, wishing that he hadn't said anything to James at all. It wasn't worth it, it never came to anything, and James could be just as moody as Sirius when he felt like it.

For his part, James's anger was already starting to fade. He had never been the sort to hold a grudge over something trivial like that. And besides, he admitted to himself in a quiet, secret part of his head, Remus had a point. He always did. James often said things without thinking, but he also knew that he would have to be careful if he didn't want to lose his new position on the quidditch team. It was going to be difficult, though. He frowned to himself, thinking it over.

Lily Evans was sitting two seats in front of him, her dark red hair spilling down over the back of her chair. James watched her thoughtfully. He knew what she would say in answer to his current dilemma. The same thing she always said. She never missed an opportunity to remind him how much of a git he was. She was all right, though. She wasn't always angry at him. Just … most of the time.

James sighed. Why was it that in order for him to get the things he wanted, he would have to stop doing everything that made life fun? It hardly seemed fair.


	3. All's Fair in Love and War

_Just one thing guys – why do I write fanfiction? For reviews, of course! So review, and validate my otherwise meaningless existence! (that sounds a lot more sad than I had intended)_

_Please check out my other fics, particularly 'Ratted Out' for Sirius fans, and 'One Black Sheep', for those interested in fluffy romance (it's Andromeda/Ted). _

_Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the creation of the fabulous JK Rowling. So … not mine. _

**Chapter the second: All's Fair in Love and War**

Lily Evans was a challenge.

James Potter did not back away from a challenge.

That, in all honesty, summed up his problem. The more she rejected him, the more he wanted her. His friends would have been the first ones to admit that if she ever chose to show even the slightest interest in him he would quickly lose all enthusiasm for the chase.

James Potter was a Chaser not just on the quidditch pitch. That was the general conclusion.

Classes had started up again and the 6th years were quickly swamped under with homework. Even James and Sirius, top students in the year, could occasionally be caught in the library, poring over their textbooks. And for the first week it seemed that the massive workload might even keep the usual exploits of the Marauders at bay. Seven days passed and not one Slytherin turned up in the hospital wing – well, except for a couple of first years who got on the wrong side of the Whomping Willow, and that could hardly be blamed on Gryffindor's infamous foursome.

However, at least one thing was back to normal.

'Potter, I really wish you would just leave me alone,' Lily sighed.

'I'm not doing anything, sweetheart. Am I doing anything, Sirius?'

'You're not going to drag me into this one, James.'

'Just give me some room, will you?' Lily snapped, as James leaned over her shoulder in Charms. 'I can't concentrate.'

'I do apologise, my dear,' James grinned. 'You have that effect on me as well.'

Lily shuddered and raised her fingers to her temples.

'Potter, if you don't back off right now …'

'I'm not touching you, love. I can't help it if my presence sends you into fits of ecstasy, can I?'

Lily reached for her wand and gripped it tightly. James grinned but, recognising that he had succeeded in annoying her, settled back into his seat behind Lily, winking at Sirius as he did so.

'You're a git, Prongs,' Sirius muttered with a broad grin.

James shrugged. 'I'm just pushing her buttons,' he said lightly. 'You know, kidding around. Life's too short to be serious all the time. Besides,' he grinned even wider, 'she likes me really. Don't you, Evans?' he added loudly.

'Shove it, Potter,' Lily muttered.

James laughed. 'I'm going to take that as a yes,' he told her.

Lily's resolve finally snapped – it seemed she could take it no longer. She raised her wand as if she were about to curse him, but at the last second she thought better of it and simply swept herself off to sit with one of her girlfriends on the other side of the room.

'You know, James – you might stand a better chance with Lily if you weren't annoying her all the time,' Remus said mildly. 'Just a suggestion.'

James shrugged again. He was in a good mood today – the full moon was in a week and he was excited to be out and about with the lads once more. He also hadn't seen much of Snape since school had begun. Not only that, but Sirius's good mood looked as though it was here to stay – good news for them all.

'Don't worry about it, Moony,' he said good-naturedly. 'I'm just joking. I know she'll never say yes – I'm just trying to get her mad.'

The boys exchanged a glance behind James's back.

'Why?' Peter asked finally.

James laughed. 'Why not, Wormtail? Mainly, though – she just gets on my nerves.'

Sirius grinned at Remus and winked.

'I guess that the path to love never did run smoothly, eh Moony?'

Remus laughed. James diplomatically ignored them both.

'This week's gone real quick, I reckon,' he said. 'And I haven't even seen much of old Snivelly at all.'

'I saw him yesterday,' Sirius said, still laughing at James. 'He's just as vile as ever. Slimy git.'

'Did you say anything to him?' Remus asked, and James noted that Remus's expression was calculating.

Sirius shrugged. 'I might've said something …' he looked distant as he tried to remember. 'Oh yeah, I did. I said; '_Impedimentia_!''

He flourished his wand as he demonstrated the curse – the desk that Lily Evans had previously occupied was sent crashing into the blackboard. Flitwick turned to the four boys with a glare.

'Sorry Professor!' Sirius called with a grin, as James and Peter roared with laughter and Remus did his very best to look disapproving. He was sort of smiling too, though.

'Detention, Mr Black!' the professor squeaked. 'And clean up that mess!'

'Certainly, sir!' Sirius agreed with a mock bow as he flicked his wand lazily at the destruction he had created. It quickly righted itself, and Sirius sat back down. Lily Evans, who had been glaring at the boys from the other side of the room, flicked her red hair around and determinedly looked the other way.

'Way to go, Padfoot,' James sniggered. 'I hope it went better with old Snivellus.'

'Well, as he's currently sporting a lovely shiner on his right eye, I'd say it did,' Sirius smirked. James and Peter grinned appreciatively. Remus rolled his eyes, but he was smiling too.

--

Lily frowned and sighed over the essay McGonagall had set. Transfiguration had never been her favourite or her best subject. She had a private opinion that in order to be any good at it, you had to be a complete prat like Black or Potter.

She had a natural aptitude for most other branches of magic – particularly Charms and Potions – but Transfiguration stubbornly evaded her best efforts to come to grips with it. Consequently she loathed the entire subject, and just glancing at the textbook was enough to give her a headache.

Lily didn't like textbooks at the best of times. She usually got by pretty well on natural talent.

Next to her, Peter Pettigrew groaned and buried his face in his arms. They were in the library with Remus for the first of the tutoring sessions that McGonagall had set up. Lily wasn't overly thrilled with the concept of spending two nights of every week helping the two Gryffindor boys – their friendship with Black and Potter made it difficult for her to relax in their company. Even though she found them less objectionable than their notorious friends, she still wasn't prepared to say that she liked either of them.

Remus, as her fellow prefect, was the only one of the four boys that she spoke to on a regular basis, and the only one with whom she would allow herself to be on first-name terms. She got the sense that he truly could be responsible if he set his mind to it, and she hated to think what exploits Potter and Black might get up to if they didn't have him around. But all the same, Remus's inability to exercise any public control over his two best friends, and the fact that he was constantly sticking up for them even when they were at their very worst, meant that Lily had little to no patience with the quietest Marauder.

As for Pettigrew … Lily regarded him with the same dislike she held for Potter and Black, tinged with a little bit of pity. He clearly hero-worshiped the pair of them (for what reason, Lily would never understand) and was often to be found hanging off their every word or chattering excitedly about their latest misadventure. However, she hardly had any reason to dislike him in _particular_ – he scarcely spoke when she was around, being far too afraid of her to dare a single sentence. Lily preferred it that way. She only wished that Potter would develop the same anxiety whenever she was in the room – it would save her a lot of grief.

'What's the matter now, Pettigrew?' she demanded in a world-weary voice.

He mumbled something into his shirt sleeves. Remus smiled, though Lily hadn't understood a word.

'What was that?'

'He says that if he never sees another cauldron again, it'll be too soon,' Remus told her, flicking a page of his textbook.

'Hmph,' Lily grumbled, not caring for Pettigrew's apathy towards her favourite class. 'Get back to your notes – you can't afford to waste time moaning.'

Pettigrew sighed and raised himself up using his elbows. He slumped at the desk, staring morosely at the sheaf of parchment in front of him, which was covered in his untidy handwriting and scattered with the precise lettering of Lily's notes, which were in red ink.

'I hate this stuff,' he whined. 'I don't even know why we have to take potions again, you know. We're no good at it – can't they accept that and let us get on with our lives?'

Remus chuckled to himself. 'I guess they don't want to send a pair of wizards out into the world when they can't even mix a decent swelling solution, right Lily?'

'Good answer, Remus,' Lily muttered. 'Now, come on, you two. Potions isn't so hard, you know. It's just a matter of getting the method right and _concentrating_ – Pettigrew, if you're falling asleep while I'm talking to you I will go straight to McGonagall; so help me I will.'

Pettigrew shook himself awake. Remus laughed at his friend. Lily scowled at them.

'You two aren't making this very easy, you know,' she told them. 'Potter and Black aren't here, you don't have to act like gits to be accepted.'

'Come on, Lily – we're not doing it on purpose,' Remus said bracingly. 'Five years with James and Sirius is bound to rub off on us sooner or later.'

Lily just rolled her eyes and tried to go back to her essay.

'They're not that bad, you know,' Remus went on. 'They just like to have a bit of fun – where's the harm in that?'

Lily shook her head. 'If you want my help this year, _Lupin_, you're going to have to quit sticking up for them. I don't want to hear about it. I don't want to know about it. I only wish they'd go away and leave me al-'

But she never got to the end of her wish, because at that moment she trailed off, staring at the door of the library. Remus and Peter turned in their seats to follow her gaze.

'Oh, now that's just _perfect_,' Lily muttered sarcastically, as a group of Slytherins from their year entered the room and made their way to a table on the opposite side of a towering bookshelf. 'Just what we need. Stop looking, you two – you'll only make it worse.'

The boys went back to their notes, and the three Gryffindors tried to keep their heads down. Lily didn't want to say it, but it was times like these that she would have been glad to have Potter and Black about – at least then the confrontation would be over and done with quickly. There was always a conflict between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Lily kept hoping that if she didn't draw attention to herself they might just leave her alone.

It never worked, though.

'They look like they're going to come over here,' Peter muttered, glancing over his shoulder. 'Maybe we should go get James and Sirius.'

'No,' Lily hissed. 'We've got every right to be in here and besides, we can look after ourselves.'

'Speak for yourself,' Peter whimpered, as a tall, thin boy named Rabastan Lestrange pushed back his chair and, with a grin and a wink at his friends, began to make his way over to the Gryffindors. A few of the other Slytherins – at least four – followed him.

Lily shot Peter a Look to tell him to stay where he was, and calmly went back to her essay.

'What's going on here?' Lestrange asked in a drawling, mocking voice. Lily didn't look up.

'None of your business,' she said. Remus and Peter took a sudden deep interest in their Potions work.

'Cosy little Gryffindor study session, is it?' The Slytherins chuckled at Lestrange's joke. 'And where are Potter and Black?'

'Detention, most likely,' spoke up one of the Slytherins standing behind Lestrange – Severus Snape. The others laughed. Lily saw Peter retreat more into studying his notes, and Remus bristle with anger.

Lily bravely looked up at Lestrange, who was leaning over her work.

'Look, we don't want any trouble,' she said firmly.

Lestrange grinned, showing slightly yellow teeth.

'I say too bad, mudblood, because you've found it.'

Lily's chair scraped angrily on the floor as she stood up, drawing her wand. Remus was at her side.

'Say that again, I dare you,' she said dangerously.

Lestrange just smiled.

'OUT!' screamed the librarian. 'Out, get out – there'll be no fighting in here, get out!' She swooped down on them all, grabbing the sleeve of Lily's robe and prodding Remus in the back as she shooed them out of the library. The Slytherins roared with laughter as Peter scooped up all their books and followed them.

They stood in the corridor for a moment, listening to Madam Pince, who was now violently shushing the Slytherin 6th years. Lily sighed.

'Sorry, I lost my temper.'

'That's all right,' Remus said with a smile. 'They're gits.'

'No kidding,' Peter agreed. 'You should've cursed them.'

'Well, I thank you for your advice, but I don't plan on joining Potter and Black in detention any time soon.' Remus and Peter laughed at the thought of Lily Evans being on detention with James and Sirius.

'We can finish studying in the common room, I suppose,' Lily offered.

Remus shook his head. 'James and Sirius dropped a dungbomb, remember? That's why we went to the library in the first place.'

Lily groaned. 'Of _course_ they did.'

'We could go up to our dormitory,' Peter suggested.

Remus shrugged. 'I guess.'

Lily looked sceptical. 'What do you take me for? I'm not going in there – something might jump out and attack me!'

'The only thing that would do that would be James, and he's safely locked up in detention as usual,' Remus assured her. 'Come on, Lily. Pete and I really need your help, and our dormitory is _basically_ clean – there's butterbeer and chocolate frogs, too, that James and Sirius nicked from the kitchens. What do you say?'

Lily sighed.

'Chocolate frogs, did you say?' she asked, relenting. Remus grinned.

--

'Another detention well served!' Sirius announced as he entered the boys' dormitory later that evening. 'That Slughorn's a decent sort of chap, you know – we had a good old chat. Hello, what's all this?'

Lily looked up guiltily. Remus shrugged and Peter was snoring – he had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the compound poisons chapter.

'Tutoring session for potions,' Remus explained. 'Want to join us?'

Sirius snorted and grabbed a chocolate frog from the pile next to Lily.

'Not bloody likely,' he grinned. Lily shuffled over on the bed as Sirius plonked himself down next to her.

'Aw, Evans, I'm not so bad. And unlike James, I'm not trying to get you into a deserted corridor anytime soon, so you've got nothing to worry about.'

Lily didn't say anything – she had a feeling that it would be easier to retain her composure if she didn't rise to Black's bait. Remus cleared his throat.

'James still in detention, then?'

Sirius shrugged. 'Guess so. I'll check up on him if you like.' He reached under the bed and pulled out what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary mirror. He held it up so that he could see his own face clearly and cleared his throat.

'James Potter.'

The surface of the mirror swirled. Lily watched it interestedly as it slowly focussed in on an image of Potter, who was sitting despondently at a desk, writing lines. He looked up furtively and then cracked a grin in their direction.

'Out already, Padfoot? No such luck for me, I'm afraid,' he whispered. 'McGonagall's landed me with Filch.'

'Too bad, mate,' Sirius replied sympathetically. 'Here, chat to the lovely Lily Evans for a while, it might cheer you up.' He shoved the mirror into Lily's protesting hands.

'Black, I want no part in this! I don't want to talk to him!'

'Aw, go on. The poor lad's miserable, can't you see? Fate worse than death, detention with Filch.'

'He's right you know,' James said with a grin. 'Thankfully he can't hear me at the moment thanks to a great little charm I got off old Snivellus.'

'Potter, I'm not really all that interested in the many methods you employ to cause trouble.'

'Anyone might think that you weren't happy to see me, Lily-flower,' James pouted. Then he frowned. 'Hey, isn't that – are you in our _dormitory_?'

'Moony and Wormtail let her up,' Sirius explained, taking the mirror back from Lily, who looked about ready to smash it into a million pieces. 'He's trying to fob off some ridiculous excuse about a Potions tutorial, but I could see through _that_ a mile off.' He winked at Remus who shook his head amusedly.

'Brilliant. Lily Evans in our dormitory and I'm not there to take advantage of it.' He frowned, as Sirius burst out laughing. 'I mean … Merlin's Beard, you're going to really hurt me for that, aren't you Evans?'

'Your amazing powers of deduction at work again, Potter,' Lily said huffily. 'I think that's enough study for tonight, Remus,' she added, scooping up her books. 'I'll see you later.'

'Goodbye, Lily,' Remus called as she slammed the dormitory door shut behind her. He was laughing to himself – he couldn't help it.

'Bye, Lily!' Sirius called with a grin. 'You really are going to pay for that one, Prongs. First time Moony's managed to get a girl up here and you went and scared her away!'

Remus blushed. James laughed sarcastically.

'Oh ha ha. You're all gits, do you know that? _Especially_ you, Padfoot.'

'Not as big a git as you, mate,' Sirius retorted.

'I'll see you later,' James muttered, rolling his eyes. The mirror went black and then went back to reflecting Sirius's face.

Sirius chuckled to himself as he took another piece of chocolate.

'Poor old Jamesie,' he commented. 'How come you were up here anyway? I thought you were doing your tutorial in the library.'

Remus shrugged. 'Oh, you know how it is. Lestrange and associated peanut galley turned up, Lily threatened to curse them, and we got chucked out.'

Sirius stared at him. 'Hold up a second,' he said incredulously. '_Lily Evans_, Miss Prefect Lily Evans – _Prongsie's_ Lily Evans – _got chucked out of the library_?'

Remus nodded. 'Lestrange and his buddies called her 'mudblood'. She must get terribly sick of that sort of thing.'

'I can imagine,' Sirius murmured thoughtfully. 'James will want to know about this.'

Remus rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, and then he'll go and curse Snape, and then Lily will get mad at him, and he'll be right back where he started. If he's lucky they might even throw him off the quidditch team.'

Sirius laughed his usual bark-like laugh. 'Just as sarcastic as ever, Moony. Besides, that's all James's problem, not mine – all except the quidditch thing, and I seriously doubt that McGonagall would kick him off the team unless he actually murders someone. Get a grip – you know James loves protecting dear Lily's honour, and the rest of us love seeing Slytherins get their just desserts.'

'Padfoot, you're just going to get the both of you into deep trouble.'

Sirius shrugged and grinned as he reached for a bottle of butterbeer. 'We're both always in trouble one way or another, Moony,' he said lightly. 'May as well be in trouble for bringing justice down on the heads of those slimy gits I'm related to.'

--

'Damn gits!' James slammed his bottle of butterbeer down on his nightstand. Sirius had just finished giving him the full account of Lestrange's insult to Lily, with Remus's quiet corrections going unnoticed for the most part.

'Good on Evans for standing up to them, but they still got away with it, didn't they?' James looked furious. 'That settles it; bugger playing nice this year. That Lestrange bastard is going to get a taste of justice whether he likes it or not!'

'Now that's what I'm talking about!' Sirius whooped. 'We've been too soft on them so far this year – we've got to remind them that the Marauders are still here, and still ready to punish them for being the slimy toads that they are!'

'Damn right you are, Padfoot!' James agreed.

Remus sighed and pulled the covers over his head, knowing that his conscience would be no clearer no matter what he heard.

--

'Lestrange and his pals still appear to be the right colour,' Remus commented idly at breakfast the next day. 'You two are showing an uncharacteristic amount of restraint.'

James looked up from a piece of parchment he had been working on – Remus had originally assumed it to be a letter or a late assignment, but was disappointed to discover that it was covered in what appeared to be a very intricate map of the dungeons.

'We're planning big this time, Moony,' he said with a maniacal grin.

Remus sighed. He tried in vain to dissuade them once again.

'Aren't you worried about the quidditch team, James?'

James shook his head and laughed. 'No way! No one will know it's us, Moony. Trust me. I've got it all thought out.'

'You always say that, but McGonagall _always_ knows that it's you …' Remus murmured. But no one heard him, because Sirius was talking.

'You know, Evans is going to kill you for this,' he said conversationally to James.

James appeared not to hear him.

'There! Does that look right to you, Pads?'

Sirius studied the map critically. 'Yeah, I'd say so. So if we set up a watch _here_ and _here …_'

Remus buried his head in his hands. They said that all was fair in love and war, and he knew his friend James took that saying to heart sometimes. Remus, for his part, hoped that everything would go smoothly for them, if only because he couldn't bear to have to be the one to say 'I told you so'.


End file.
